Marking device



Jan. 11, 1966 A. E. WHITECAR MARKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 1961 INVENTOR.

ALTEN E. WHITECAR BY ATTORNEYS Jan- 11, 1 A. E. WHITECAR MARKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31, 1961 Q0; mm mm w wm ALTEN E. WHITECAR BY sW W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,228,328 MARKING DEVICE Alten E. Whitecar, Westville, NJL, assignor to Smith Kline & French Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 135,246 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-232) This invention relates to a device suitable for placing a marking such as a code number on an article.

The device of this invention is of particular utility where the high speed coding of cartons is desired in order to supply such coded cartons to high speed cartoning machines. Such coded cartons are widely used, for example in the pharmaceutical industry.

It is, therefore, the broad object of this invention to provide a high speed coding device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a high speed coding device which is simple in operation and economic to construct.

These and other objects of this invention will be made apparent on reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a coding machine in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the machine of FIG- URE 1 partly broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 showing the parts advanced to the coding application position and enlarged to show the relationship of the machine of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a carton in its flat unfolded condition;

FIGURE 5 is a front perspective view of a completed carton; and

FIGURE 6 is a View taken on the plane indicated by the line 66 in FIGURE 2 with the pusher arm ad.- vanced to engage a carton in the magazine.

A coding machine 2 in accordance with this invention is shown in FIGURES 1 through 3. A typical carton 4 for employment with the machine 2 is shown in FIGURE 4. Carton 4 has sides 6, 8, 10 and 12 and end closure flaps 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24. The carton 4 after it has been erected with the closure flaps positioned in their closed position is shown in FIGURE 5. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, carton 4 bears a code number 516 which has been placed on the carton by the coding machine of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the coding machine 2 is actuated by an electric motor indicated. at which drives a shaft 31 carrying eccentrically mounted wheel 32. Rod 38 is fixedly connected to a sleeve 34 mounted on wheel 32 so that wheel 32 is free to turn inside sleeve 34 and reciprocate rod 38. Rod 38 is connected to lever 40 by a pivotal connection indicated at 42. Lever 40 is pivotally connected to frame 44 as indi cated at 46 and as shown in FIGURE 1 is pivotally connected to a lever 48 as indicated at 49. The opposite end of lever 48 is pivotally connected at 50 to a slide 52 which has an opening 54 for the reception of a rod 56 on which it slides, rod 56 being fixedly mounted at its ends on frame 44. A roller 58 mounted on slide 52 rolls freely in track 60 in frame 44. A pusher arm 62 has a member 64 secured to slide 52 by machine screws indicated at 66 and has a finger 68 fixedly secured to member 64 and extending beyond the leading edge 69 of member 64. The leading end 70 of finger 68 is adjacent a carton magazine 72 when in the retracted position as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Magazine 72 has upstanding L-shaped (in horizontal cross-section) members 74 and 76 and upstanding bars 78 and 80. Carton 4 when placed in magazine 72 is posi- 3,228,328 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 tioned with flaps 18 and 20 slidably engaged by L-shaped members 74 and. 76 and bars 78 and 80 respectively with sides 6 and 10 facing upwardly. The ends of flaps 14 and 16 he adjacent the inwardly facing sides of bars 78 and 80. At the bottom of magazine 72 are a pair of spaced support members 82 and 84 which as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2 extend beyond magazine 72 to the left through magazine opening 85. The size of opening 85 is regulated by adjustable stop members 86, 86 secured to members 74 and 76 respectively by screws 88 passing through slots 89, 89 (FIGURE 6).

Working in association with magazine 72 is a suction cup 90 mounted on top of a hollow rod 92. Rod 92 is fixedly secured to cylinder 94 which is mounted for vertical sliding in bearing 96. A flexible line 98 connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the interior of cylinder 94 to connect the interior of rod 92 and hence suction cup 90 to a source of vacuum. Cylinder 94 has an ear 103 depending from its closed lower end to which a rod 104 is pivotally connected at 105. Rod 104 in turn is pivotally secured at 106 to a bell crank lever 168. Lever 108 is pivotally mounted on frame 44 as in dicated at 110 and is pivotally connected to rod 114 at 112. Rod '114 is pivotally connected to lever 40 and 116.

A rack pivotally connected to slide 52 at 122 engages gear 124 affixed to shaft 126 mounted in support members indicated at 128 and 130. A backup member 132 has a removable head 134 secured by a screw 136 and is fixedly secured. to shaft 126 by a set screw indicated at 138.

Gear 124 meshes with a gear 140 affixed to shaft 142 mounted for rotation in support members 128 and 130. A type carrying member 144 has a removable head 146 secured by a screw 148- and carrying type indicated at 150 which for purposes of illustration may be the numerals 516. Type carrying member is fixedly secured to shaft 142 by a set screw indicated at 152.

Operation In operation motor 30 drives shaft 31, wheel 32 and reciprocates rod 38 and hence lever 40. At the commencement of the operation with the machine in the position shown in FIGURES l and 2, lever 46 is moved to the left as viewed in these figures which causes rod 114 through hell crank 108 to move rod 104, cylinder 94, rod 92 and hence suction cup 90 downwardly drawing a carton from magazine 72 downwardly against support members 82 and 84. Simultaneously through lever 48, slide 52 is moved to the left as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 ad vancing pusher arm 62 towards magazine 72 causing the end 74) of finger 68 to overlie the carton pulled down by the suction cup 90 which continues to move down to break the suction connection and release the carton. As pusher arm 62 continues to advance the leading edge 69 of member 64 engages the edge of the pulled down carton (see FIGURES 1 and 6) and advances it between shafts 126 and 142 and thence to the ends of support members 82 and 84 for discharge therefrom.

At the same time rack 12% rotates gear 124 which in turn rotates gear 140 resulting in the counterclockwise rotation of shaft 126 and the clockwise rotation of shaft 142 which causes type 150 on head 146 to rotate downwardly against side 6 of a carton 4 as the carton moves under shaft 142. Simultaneously backup member 132 is rotated so that its head lies below type 150 and carton 4 as the carton is impressed by type 150 (see FIGURE 3). As pusher arm '64 continues to advance after the imprinting operation, type holder 144 carrying type 150 and backup member 132 also continue to rotate to permit the release and continued passage of carton 4 to its point of discharge.

After the maximum travel of lever 40 to the left, as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2, and the discharge of a carton 4, crank 34 reverses the direction of lever 40 causing it to move to the right as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2 and consequently causing the above discussed parts to retrace their steps to their initial starting position as shown in FIGURES l and 2 with suction cup 90 elevated in a position-to engage the next carton and the above discussed operation is then continuously repeated.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for stamping a marking on a substantially flat article comprising a magazine containing the article, a pair of spaced shafts mounted to one side of the magazine, a type-carrying member mounted on one of said shafts, a backup member mounted on the other of said shafts, a pair of spaced supports extending from said magazine through the space between said shafts, reciprocating means carrying a pusher arm adapted to advance an article on said supports from the magazine through the space between said shafts and means to reciprocatingly rotate said shafts in timed relation with said pusher arm to bring the type-carrying member and backup member into con tact with an article being advanced by the pusher arm as it passes between said shafts, said means to reciprocatingly rotate said shafts comprising a rack member secured to said reciprocating means, a pinion secured to one of said shafts engaged by said rack member and a gear on the other of said shafts in engagement with said pinion.

2. Apparatus for stamping a marking on a substantially flat article comprising a magazine containing the article, a pair of spaced shafts mounted to one side of the magazine, a type-carrying member mounted on one of said shafts, a backup member mounted on the other of said shafts, a pair of spaced supports extending from said magazine through the space between said shafts, reciprocating means carrying a pusher arm adapted to advance an article on said support means from the magazine through the space between said shafts, a reciprocating suction member to urge an article from said magazine against the spaced supports, a rack member secured to said reciprocating means for reciprocation thereby, a gear train between said shafts actuated 'by said rack member and means to actuate said reciprocating suction member and said reciprocating means in timed relation to urge an article against the supports for engagement by the pusher arm and to bring the type-carrying member and backup member into contact with the article being advanced by the pusher arm as it passes between said shafts.

3. Apparatus for stamping a marking on a substantially flat article comprising a magazine containing the article, a pair of spaced shafts mounted to one side of the magazine, a type carrying member mounted on one of said shafts, a backup member mounted on the other of said shafts, a support extending from said magazine through the space between said shafts and having an opening lying between the type carrying means and the backup member, a reciprocating suction member to urge an article from said magazine against said support, reciprocating means carrying a pusher arm adapted to advance an article on said support from the magazine through the space between said shafts, means to reciprocatingly rotate said shafts in timed relation with said pusher arm to bring the type carrying member and backup member into contact with an article being advanced by the pusher arm as it passes between said shafts and a hold-down finger secured to the pusher arm and projected in advance of the pusher arm to hold down the article on the support prior to its engagement .by the pusher arm.

4. Apparatus for stamping a marking on a substantially flat article comprising a magazine containing the article, a pair of spaced shafts mounted to one side of the magazine, a typecarrying member mounted on one of said shafts, a backup member mounted on the other of said shafts, a pair of spaced sup-ports extending from said magazine through the space between said shafts, reciprocating means carrying a pusher arm adapted to advance an article on said supports from the magazine through the space between said shafts, a hold-down finger secured to the pusher arm and projecting in advance of the pusher arm to hold down the article on the support prior to its engagement by the pusher arm, and means to reciprocatingly rotate said shafts in timed relation with said pusher arm to bring the type-carrying member and backup member into contact with an article being advanced by the pusher arm as it passes between said shafts, said means to reciprocatingly rotate said shafts comprising a rack member secured to said reciprocating means, a pinion secured to one of said shafts engaged by said rack member and a gear on the other of said shafts in engagement with said pinion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 382,441 5/1888 Selby 10137 1,218,034 3/1917 Young 27ll4 2,657,049 l0/1953 Baker 271-14 2,767,651 10/ 1956 Willsea. 2,877,737 3/1959 Taggart 27114 X ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. E. R. CAPOZIO, WILLIAM B. PENN, Examiners. 

1. A APPARATUS FOR STAMPING A MARKING ON A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ARTICLE COMPRISING A MAGAZINE CONTAINING THE ARTICLE, A PAIR OF SPACED SHAFTS MOUNTED TO ONE SIDE OF THE MAGAZINE, A TYPE-CARRYING MEMBER MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID SHAFTS, A BACKUP MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID SHAFTS, A PAIR OF SPACED SUPPORTS EXTENDING FROM SAID MAGAZINE THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SHAFTS, RECIPROCATING MEANS CARRYING A PUSHER ARM ADAPTED TO ADVANCE AN ARTICLE ON SAID SUPPORTS FROM THE MAGAZINE THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SHAFTS AND MEANS TO RECIPROCATINGLY ROTATE SAID SHAFTS IN TIMED RELATION WITH SAID PUSHER ARM TO BRING THE TYPE-CARRYING MEMBER AND BACKUP MEMBER INTO CONTACT WITH AN ARTICLE BEING ADVANCED BY THE PUSHER ARM AS IT PASSES BETWEEN SAID SHAFTS, SAID MEANS TO RECIPROCATINGLY ROTATE SAID SHAFTS COMPRISING, A RACK MEMBER SECURED TO SAID RECIPROCATING MEANS, A PINION SECURED TO ONE OF SAID SHAFTS ENGAGED BY SAID RACK MEMBER AND A GEAR ON THE OTHER OF SAID SHAFTS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PINION. 